Obtaining and analyzing images of materials plays an important role in many areas of technology. For example, the ability to obtain and analyze accurate images efficiently is important in the field of anatomic pathology. Anatomic pathology enables the diagnosis of physiological conditions such as cancer, infectious disease and prenatal disorders through analysis of tissue samples.
Typically, a biological specimen from a patient is obtained, imaged, and analyzed. The specimen may be “stained” using a material chosen to reveal the presence of one or more molecules. The specimen may then be placed on a slide for viewing with a microscope.
An image of the sample may be obtained using a digital camera. In some systems, the sample may be scanned, and a series of images may be obtained. The image data may then be analyzed. For example, an image may be analyzed to identify the presence of particular characteristic features of a particular disease, where the particular characteristic features indicate the presence of or predisposition towards the disease.